I had never heard of this place until just recently. I was off work one day and was looking for something to do with the kids. Was told about the beach at this place out in Western MD. I wasn't keen on taking that long drive but was told it'd be worth it, especially since it's not driving 3 hours to OC. This review is only for the beach, not the trails or camping. Once we arrived, the first thing I noticed and appreciated were the wide parking spots. With so many large vehicles and kids, it's good to have space between minivans, cars, and SUVs to get stuff and people in and out without bumping the next vehicle. We went in the middle of the week so it wasn't terribly packed like on July 4th weekend where the park had to turn ppl away. There is a large grassy area with picnic tables and shade trees. There are paved walkways from the parking lot all the way through so it's easy to push a stroller or a cart with your stuff. The sandy beachy part wasn't huge like OC so it was nice to be able to set up our tent and chairs on the grass at the edge of the sand. The water was about 20 yards away maybe from what I remember. With it not being the ocean, there were no waves and the water was not deep inside the roped off area. Great for young children. There were many middle- and high-school aged kids there from some camps but none of them seemed to bother the other patrons, which was good. The lifeguards on duty were attentive and on-guard. There is a large building not far away with bathroom, showers, and changing areas. The lifeguard station is also here. Bonus: South Mountain Creamery is not far from here, so stop on there after the beach to get some yummy ice cream and watch some cows being milked. read more

Went camping here a few weeks ago. Whoa nelly. Firstly- the campsites are VERY close together. So if you liked the idea of pitching tents back to back, like you are in a park protesting, then sure, go here. Now, if you are camping with a big group of people, that might be ok. But if you're trying to actually experience nature, then this isn't the place for you, because they basically cram as many people as they can into the camping area. Next- We went to this park because it has a beach. However, we went out at 7am, to get some supplies... and traffic was backed up several miles down the road with people waiting to get into the park. Needless to say, the beach gets PACKED quickly. And, the campers have to sit in the same traffic as the beach-goers... so we had to sit in traffic just to get back into the park later that morning. And then we couldn't go enjoy the beach, it was way too packed with people. So overall- we won't camp here again. We liked that the campsites had electric hookups, but next time we'll book someplace more private, with more space. read more

I like to take my daughter swimming at Greenbrier in the summer...there is a very nice lake beach, and you can take rafts and floaties in with you. She can play in the sand or the water, and I don't have to worry about waves. There is a concession stand, though I always just pack snacks and drinks. Also a changing room with restrooms, a playground, volleyball nets, and paddleboats. The lake is surrounded by mountains, making it a very scenic place to spend a relaxing summer day. On the weekends, this place fills up early and I find it unpleasant. Go on a weekday if possible, or get there early. Costs me $3 to get in--you have to pay per person, but kids in car seats are free. Not a bad deal. On the way home, we often stop off at the South Mountain Creamery for ice cream...it makes a fun day, and it's only 20 minutes from Frederick. read more

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The boyfriend and I spent last weekend here and had a blast! It was uncrowded and the staff was friendly. We forgot tent stakes (womp womp) and a nice park employee riding with his cute little dog on a golf cart gave us some of the stakes that he collects from sites where other campers leave them behind. Score! The sites are a little close together, but our neighbors were all friendly. What do you expect from a campsite that has bathrooms and showers? No alcohol is allowed in state parks, but where there's a will there's a way I suppose. On Sunday we went for a day hike, after consulting our trail guide our plan was to take Bartman to the AT, then take the Boonsboro road to Yellow Trail and back. YELLOW TRAIL DOES NOT EXIST! THE CAKE IS A LIE! However, there ARE a bunch of trees spray painted yellow and spread out randomly on the road for you to enjoy looking at in consternation ("Is this the trail?") as cars whiz by you at dangerous speeds. No matter, we decided to backtrack and take Water Tank trail to Yellow and back. Water Tank disappears into nothingness as you depart farther from Bartman, so I advise you not to take that one either. These were trails we found in the informational magazine they gave us... But hey, we like hiking and the weather was great so we didn't mind these detours. If you stick to the trails around the lake, or ones that lead directly to the AT you'll probably be set. read more

This review is for tent camping only: If you you're looking for a relaxing time in nature, look elsewhere. 80% of campsites had families with 3 or more kids, so there's a lot of screaming and crying. I'm no Scrooge...so if you have kids and want a kid family place, this is perfect. But if you're looking for a private, quiet camping experience, Greenbrier is not the place. You never want to leave a campground and think "ah, now home to some peace and quiet". Unfortunate as the park is nice and the hiking trails are enjoyable. read more

Greenbrier State Park - Campgrounds Near Me - Boonsboro, Maryland

We tent camped with our 2 small children over the weekend and had a great time. The drive to the park is really beautiful and such a refreshing change from the DC area. The campsites were spread out more than we expected and the facilities were in great shape. We stayed in the Birch Loop on Site 14 and had a pretty view of the woods behind us. We went Saturday morning to the lake and it was much nicer than I expected. The water seemed clean and felt great. It was very crowded and the park filled up fast. The place would be nice for a day trip too. We would go again. It is worth checking out if you need a break from the city. read more

This is a great park to go for a hike. The park is part of the Appalachian Trail and has some routes that venture off it. There are campsite along the route that are first come first server. I would recommend this part for hikes, because they have their rewards. One the rewards is the Annapolis Rock. The views from these rocks is terrific even on a cloudy day. There are also some picnic tables along the way, so pack a lunch to make it a day long adventure. If you don't want to eat at a picnic table there are rock formation with great views to stop at as well. read more

With the season just opening we decided to try and be the first to the park this year and it did not disappoint. We arrived just before the rain in time to start a fire and cook some dinner before retiring to the pitter patter of rain on the tent all night. The next day brought a beautiful hike around the Red Loop where we only saw a few people. Very serene and beautiful this time of the year. Our camp host Mary was very friendly and the dogs had a great time as well. We will definitely be visiting again this season for some lake activities when it gets a little warmer! read more

We were looking for a quiet, secluded, lake for a brisk winter hike. Greenbrier was the perfect spot. A smallish, clean, frozen lake with an easy, wooded hike that allowed our dog to sniff out new smells and allowed us almost complete solitude. The park is pristine and looks like the perfect swimming hole in summer...although probably more crowded. There is no camping in the winter, which added to the peacefulness of our hike. There are also no ammenities in the winter except the ranger station/gift shop. We look forward to a summer visit. read more

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Camping spots are very tight. Not only is the site itself cramped, but also close to other campers. Barely able to fit 2 cars at our site. Our car basically backed up into the fire pit The site is a rectangular plot of gravel which is: your parking spot, fire pit , picnic table and tent site. The fire pit is obstructed by a grill which cannot be moved and takes up 1/2 of the pit. We were somewhat close to the bathroom but the fog lights were on and illuminated the whole building, really taking away from the dark secluded starry night we were hoping for. Even just some more tree coverage would've been nice. Almost $30 a night, 2 night minimum over holiday weekends, no alcohol, key code gated access. Hiking trails are ok, there is a "pond" with a beachy side and a fishing side. read more

Greenbrier State Park - Fire pit - Campgrounds Near Me - Boonsboro, Maryland

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Started our Labor Day 7.6mi hike on the AT from Gathland State Park. Great land for a family picnic or a tour through the tiny museum. The historical landmarks near by coupled with the sweet little town you drive through to get to Gathland gives a lovely Sunday drive in itself. It is only 45 minutes tops from the boy's place in Gaithersburg which means we will definitely be doing this more often. For those picking up the hike from here the first mile is uphill and a huge pain in the ass. Stick through it and at 3.6mi there spot to rest and peak off the ridge. Loved it! read more

Beautiful park to enjoy with family. clean water. has bathroom with baby changer. you must bring your own food. does not have a structured restaurant. read more

It seems like a decent place, but so far just talking on our campground slightly after 10:00 we were told by rangers on our campsite that we shouldn't be talking more than a whisper because 10:00 is quiet time. I completely understand not being obnoxious so other campers can sleep but this is a little ridiculous. So warning for people who would like to reasonably talk with friends around a campfire at 10:05. Also, you are unable to bring your own firewood because of a concern for nonnative species, which again I understand. Yet the only wood you are able to use you have to buy here in a very small bundle for $5 which was pretty ridiculous to me when it only lasts about an hour. read more

Greenbrier is a very nice park it can sometimes be crowded but noone really cares what you do.

Very scenic park. I happened upon this park as part of my Civil War day tour. I'm so glad I did. The Correspondent's Arch is worth the trip. The arch was built, in 1896, to honor all Civil War correspondents. It's massive and quite awe-inspiring. It's located at the entrance of the park and believe me - you will be amazed. The Appalachian trail runs through this park as well so expect to see backpackers. You can walk a bit of the trail yourself even if you didn't come to the park for that. I'm not a hiker so I didn't bother. This means I can't tell you how far you have to hike in before you hit scenic views or something more interesting than the forest! There's also museums which were part of the original estate of George Townsend who owned this land and was a war correspondent. The museums are only open on the weekends so I didn't get to see them. They're partially restored to their antebellum state. There's also a pavilion for rent for special occasions and it can accommodate up to 100 people, so I'm told. I'm glad I found this park on my guide - even if it is beyond my lines. You see - I'm a southerner!! read more

This was pretty neat. When you drive up Gapland Rd you are suddenly surprised by what looks like castle turrets, and turns out to be a monument built to war correspondants. If you are a Civil War era buff there's lots of history here and old buildings (or remains of buildings) to see. There's not much to be said for the hike (a section of the Appalachian Trail), at least the beginning of it that I did. It's a nice walk in the woods, but from what I've read you have to hike in quite far to have any neat views or anything. Still, it seems to be quite untraveled, so if you're looking to get away from the crowds, this might be your spot. The drive out here is so fun. Such a cute little town and such beautiful views. read more

This was a perfect day trip for us. I went with my sister and our 'surrogate niece' (16 months at the time). We plan on returning again with all three kids (watch out!). They have boat rentals, which we haven't tried yet. I would like to see if the two older boys are old enough to go out on a paddleboat, we'll see! We went on a Sunday morning and I didn't think the crowds were too bad. I'm sure Saturdays would be worse, though we may try to get here early one day and see how it is. All in all, definitely worth the trip! Keep in mind that its a no trash park. Bring a bag to put your trash in and then take it home with you. read more

We are not avid campers and in fact this was our very FIRST camping experience in over 10 years and the first one for our kids as well. So we have limited experience here and I can't say for sure if there are better or worse places. What I can say is that I LOVED the convenience of finding our campsites online and booking them. We were going with another family and wanted two sites together and the online process made it easy to not only find the sites, but then read the reviews/notes of each site and find the best ones for us. We had two sites close together and close to the restroom...perfect. Arrival and checkin also went smoothly and the staff there was very friendly. We got our site information, passcode to the area, and purchased some firewood. Sites were very nicely setup, close but not too close to each other. For the most part it was quiet, but it was a busy weekend and by about 7am you could hear plenty of kids awake...including our own. They are pet-friendly, which was great...as it was our four-legged family member's first camping experience too. I don't think she was too thrilled with it. Bathrooms were very well maintained and clean. Loved the individual fire rings at each site with the grate over them for cooking. We would return. read more

Dogs not allowed in the park during on-season! Luckily the ranger was very pleasant and pointed out where to park further up the road so we could get on the trail to Annapolis Rock. Do that - just as beautiful a hike to Annapolis Rock and further up to Black Rock Cliff. read more

Beautiful for a day at the beach, we had a wonderful time there and had a picnic right next to the lake. Not many people on weekday mornings! read more

It's a nice little drive down 70 and is tucked away in the woods. You pay an admission fee per car and the beach makes for a nice hangout.

This is review of the swimming and relaxing by the lake. I think it's a bummer that you can't swim all over the lake, although it's totally understandable. A great grassy area to relax! Great swimming.... plenty of room. I don't know why more people don't come here from DC. One can easily hike into the park from the road. We found it pretty easily with a little luck. read more

We took a hike from the entrance off of Route 40 onto the Appalachian Trail. We followed the path for about 2.3 miles to Annapolis Rock. It was a slight to medium grade most of the way and we were rewarded at the end with a beautiful overlook view of Greenbrier State Park. It was a very cold afternoon so we stayed for a brief meditation and then headed back. It took us less then 3 hours roundtrip. This is a great way to spend an afternoon. read more

Pretty good state park, first that I've camped in Maryland. Campgrounds are a little hilly, and not too much real estate between sites - but it doesn't feel like it. Seems to have too many rules for my taste though, but that's probably due to the very liberal nature of the state. Clean restrooms with hot water. Never had a cold shower. The day use area is another story. Way too packed for Labor Day weekend. Day use staff on the apathetic side. Restrooms at the lake were gross. Come to camp, but avoid a day trip. read more

The campsites were nice and the staff was very pleasant and professional, however the main attractions, "the lake", was a nightmare!!!!! Something in my gut told me that I shouldn't let our children swim in the cesspool looking lake. 20 seconds later and a mild meltdown from my daughter, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that they were closing the lake for an hour due to "contamination". I found a ranger and asked what that meant and he responded "blood, urine, vomit, or feces"...I wonder what they can do in an hour to clean a 42 acre lake. It was absolutely disgusting and overly crowded. I wanted to bathe in bleach after just looking at the lake. I will never go back because of this. read more

We went camping last weekend and everything was great. The campsites are all prepared by the camp host so you arrive to a clean fire pit and no left over trash. The hosts were always around and friendly but did not seem intrusive at all. There are lots of kids around but they pretty much stayed to themselves and it's nice to see them enjoying the outdoors instead of sitting in front of a tv. There are also lots of hiking trails all over the park and they have a variety of difficulties. Leaving the park entrance you are less that an mile from the Appalachian Trail which also provides a nice hike. This was the perfect place for a nice relaxing weekend getaway. read more

This park was awesome!!! Went here on a Father, Son camping trip. Stayed in the Cedar Loop which has electric.(30Amp). Nice and quiet when we were there. Campground was pretty full. Has a real nice lake for swimming and also has a beach. There is a building they call a camp store, but it is basically a snack bar that sells inflatables for the water. No big deal though. I would come here more often if it wasn't so far to go. read more

Beautiful park, but the beauty has been overshadowed by the over eager park rangers. On the first occasion, a ranger was hiding in the woods and approached us without notice and accused us of drinking alcohol. He shined his flashlight on each one of us sitting around the campfire analyzing what we were drinking: diet coke, water, gatorade... Then he told us it was quiet time and to turn our radio off. We were the ONLY ones in the entire loop and we had checked to ensure that the radio could not be heard outside of our campsite, but not good enough for this over eager ranger. Next he asked me to open our cooler. I declined - as this he didn't have a search warrant. He shined his flashlight in my car looking for ? Asked what various items were and I asked if he had a search warrant. The second incident was months later. I took my children for a night camping. My wife came up to eat dinner. She brought our puppy - 4 months old. I didn't think it would be an issue, we saw dogs walking around the park. Two rangers with guns drove up in a golf cart and entered our campsite. They informed us that the dog was not allowed in the Ash loop. I said "thats fine, can we finish our dinner". The ranger responded "you better make it fast". Nice customer service. The bottom line is these incidents have ruined two camping trips. They have also ruined a perfectly good campground. I believe there should be a campers bill of rights. Why are rangers allowed to enter a campsite unannounced. Don't we 'rent' the campsite for the time we are there? Isn't it reasonable to ask permission to enter a campsite? The heavy handed enforcement techniques of the ranger are gestapoesque. I think they need to find a way to establish a balance of camper rights and enforcement based on whether campers are disturbing other campers. Playing 'ah ha.. I got you', should not be allowed. Outside of a campground, it is not. As far as alcohol. I understand the intent, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. They want to create a 'family' environment. But adults quietly drinking beer around a campfire doesn't destroy that environment. Rowdy adults I understand, but there are noise ordinances for that. And I can guarantee you that 90% of the adults that are there have beer in there coolers and are pouring it into plastic cups. So all they've done is create a silly game. The silliest thing with their 'law' is that folks with campers can drink beer in there campers! Wow! So only those who don't have enough money for a camper are punished. This post goes for ALL Maryland campgrounds. Two park rangers to 'monitor' 10 campsites is over kill. The laws they are 'required' to enforce are ludicrous. The way they enforce it is harassment and a violation of our civil rights. Lets demand our rights. Having rangers hide in the woods and enter our campsite without cause is disturbing. Lets bring back camping the way it was when we were kids. From what I remember it was a great time, and we didn't need these nuisance laws. read more

This park was mediocre at best. Not ideal for tent camping because all camp sites are on gravel rectangles so you end up sleeping on hard gravel. Also cramped and could barely fit 2 tents and 2 cars. They advertised swimming, yet the lake had a "swimming area" with barely 1 ft of water and a fence 10 ft out. We also went hiking and found out that part of the trail we were on was closed, although there were no signs or anything on the map telling us this before our hike. Quiet hours from 10pm-7am are strictly enforced by park rangers so don't expect to sit around your campfire talking, even at a reasonable volume, during that time or you will get yelled at. It's unfortunate that alcohol isn't allowed at this park because it's the only thing that would have made this camping trip more bearable. read more

Nice park for families, I just despise how close the camping sites are. Good layout though. And who doesn't love having access to a bathroom? read more

This is a great park for a beginner camper who wants easy access to amenities and a good location close to DC. However, if you are looking for a private camping experience go to VA. They enforce the no alcohol policy VERY strictly, even if you are being quiet with a small group. The lake is beautiful and there is plenty to do around the area but I'd say it's more geared towards families than anything else. read more

used to be ok, now a dump.... beach overcrowded, concession stand will really make you mad... usually one kid "running" it, $8.00 for a old hot dog, IF you can get any of these kids attention, that is... bathrooms unbelievable.... so filthy.....enogh, so sad........ pretty property.. read more